Chapter Thirty-Nine: Briar's Discreet Tryst

                                    

                                          
With spring in full bloom, April was a favourite time of year for many people; Briar included. It was warmer than winter which meant there were more clear days for activities, he and his lovers taking frequent evening walks together after dinner, but it was still far enough away from summer to make holiday plans. 
For the young man though, there was no holiday to be had. Unfortunate as it could seem to many, a fraction of his summer would be spent working but rather than dreading it, the closer the date to the first day of shooting approached, Briar found himself becoming increasingly excited. 
This was going to be a new, positive and helpful experience for him- he was sure of it.
Standing alone in the gym locker room in only a towel, he took a moment to look in the mirror. Muscles that had been long unworked were now stronger, skin pulled tightly over them so they stood out rather prominently. Where he once looked and saw a body that could never be truly loved by anyone the way he desired, now he could hardly believe such a time or thoughts existed. 
Briar knew that should he go home at that very moment and strip down naked; Jesse would slap him on the ass and make some blush-worthy comments, Quinn would complement him using art-related words Briar wouldn't understand followed by a sweet kiss to his cheek. And should he do the same in front of Devon, well, the pretty boy could imagine how the dominant man would gaze at him like a beast, eyes full of dark promises and no words needing uttered. 
While he had only been physically intimate with his other two lovers on a few occasions, Devon still had made no further advancements. And Briar was surprisingly okay with their slow approach to intimacy, truly appreciating being allowed the time to research his possible limits and gradually be welcomed into the world of dominance and submission. 
Harlow never complimented my body without also pointing out a flaw. Never touched me sweetly, only hurriedly and when he wanted to, only to stop completely once other people started paying to hold it. He never cherished me the way I tricked myself into thinking he did. The way he made me feel about myself...
Looking back on his past relationship no longer filled him with the longing for a love long past. Instead, it made him feel sick. Sick for the person he had been made into with Harlow, overwhelmed with sadness that he had allowed himself to be treated so lowly. But then came the gratitude towards the man for abandoning him, because now he truly felt alive, loved and hopeful towards his future- a future he knew would only get happier and happier, fuller and fuller. Sometimes, just thinking of his new life made his heart fit to burst.
"Hm" a voice rumbled behind, making Briar jump as arms came around his waist and startled him from his thoughts. Looking back into the mirror, he smiled at the man. 
"You smell so good". 
"And you don't, so get off" he grimaced, turning in strong arms to push Devon away by his sweaty shoulders. The dominant pouted. 
"Aw, love, don't be like that. This is the smell of a man". 
Wrinkling his nose and walking to his gym bag, Briar pulled out some clothes. "Yes- the smell of a man needing a shower. Better get on that".
Unwrapping his towel from his waist to put on some boxers, his earlier thoughts were confirmed when he caught Devon in the corner of his eye, watching his thick thighs and soft cock disappear into the piece of lacy fabric, dark gaze then moving to Briar's abdomen that tightened under those eyes, gradually raising to his stiffening nipples and plump chest. 
"I can't decide if you do this shit by accident and really are that oblivious to how sexy you are, or if you do it deliberately to rile me up" the dominant uttered, finally looking away to grab his own towel and shower gel- the same one Briar borrowed for his own shower, simply to smell the same as his lover.